Benton County, MO elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Benton County: 14 seats on 12 elected bodies. 6 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
County Commission
Benton County Commission
| Office | Who holds it now | Next term |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Commissioner, Northern District | D. Scott Harms Republican source | |
| Associate Commissioner, Southern District | Larry G. Berry Republican source | |
| Presiding Commissioner | Steve Daleske Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
County officers
| Office | Who holds it now | Next term |
|---|---|---|
| Assessor | James H. Hansen II Republican source | |
| Circuit Clerk | Shanda R. Schultz Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| Collector of Revenue | David Brodersen Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| Coroner | J. Weston Miller Republican source | |
| County Clerk | Susan Porterfield Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| County Surveyor | Shaun Marshall Republican source | |
| Prosecuting Attorney | Rod Richardson Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| Public Administrator | Lori Schroder Republican source | |
| Recorder of Deeds | Carla J. Brown Republican source | On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet |
| Sheriff | Eric Knox Republican source | |
| Treasurer | Rebecca J. Minks source |
How many local governments Benton County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 23 local governments in Benton County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
| Kind of government | Census count (2022) | Listed on this page |
|---|---|---|
| County government | 1 | 1 |
| Cities, towns, villages and townships | 4 | 0 |
| School districts (school boards) | 3 | 0 |
| Special districts (elected boards) | 15 | 0 |
About these counts
The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.
Who lives in Benton County
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2% · White 91.6% · Black 1% · Asian 0.2% · Other or more than one race 5.2% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)
About these figures
The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.
Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.
Jobs in Benton County
Every month, last two years
| Month | Rate | Unemployed | Employed | Labor force |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 (preliminary) | 4.5% | 347 | 7,297 | 7,644 |
| August 2026 | 4.9% | 367 | 7,077 | 7,444 |
| July 2026 | 4.7% | 350 | 7,082 | 7,432 |
| June 2026 | 4.6% | 356 | 7,301 | 7,657 |
| May 2026 | 4.5% | 341 | 7,287 | 7,628 |
| April 2026 | 4.4% | 336 | 7,385 | 7,721 |
| March 2026 | 5.3% | 405 | 7,185 | 7,590 |
| February 2026 | 5.5% | 415 | 7,139 | 7,554 |
| January 2026 | 6.1% | 450 | 6,981 | 7,431 |
| December 2025 | 4.3% | 319 | 7,118 | 7,437 |
| November 2025 | 4.3% | 321 | 7,116 | 7,437 |
| October 2025 | not collected (2025 federal shutdown) | |||
| September 2025 | 4.6% | 346 | 7,149 | 7,495 |
| August 2025 | 5.5% | 402 | 6,926 | 7,328 |
| July 2025 | 5.5% | 406 | 6,979 | 7,385 |
| June 2025 | 5.4% | 414 | 7,295 | 7,709 |
| May 2025 | 5.4% | 410 | 7,200 | 7,610 |
| April 2025 | 5.0% | 378 | 7,239 | 7,617 |
| March 2025 | 6.2% | 467 | 7,023 | 7,490 |
| February 2025 | 6.7% | 501 | 7,009 | 7,510 |
| January 2025 | 6.4% | 475 | 6,905 | 7,380 |
| December 2024 | 4.8% | 352 | 6,941 | 7,293 |
| November 2024 | 4.8% | 344 | 6,886 | 7,230 |
| October 2024 | 4.7% | 346 | 6,995 | 7,341 |
Yearly averages
| Year | Rate | Unemployed | Employed | Labor force |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (11 months) | 5.4% | 404 | 7,087 | 7,491 |
| 2024 | 5.3% | 385 | 6,946 | 7,331 |
| 2023 | 4.5% | 323 | 6,911 | 7,234 |
| 2022 | 3.9% | 277 | 6,867 | 7,144 |
| 2021 | 5.5% | 392 | 6,782 | 7,174 |
| 2020 | 7.4% | 526 | 6,561 | 7,087 |
| 2019 | 4.8% | 338 | 6,712 | 7,050 |
| 2018 | 4.6% | 326 | 6,736 | 7,062 |
| 2017 | 5.2% | 371 | 6,820 | 7,191 |
| 2016 | 6.1% | 438 | 6,720 | 7,158 |
Crime reported in Benton County
Earlier years
| Year | Violent | Rate | Property | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 22 | 105.1 | 161 | 769.3 |
| 2024 | 26 | 123.5 | 150 | 712.3 |
| 2023 | 32 | 154.9 | 186 | 900.5 |
| 2022 | 38 | 186.2 | 192 | 940.9 |
| 2021 | 38 | 193.1 | 233 | 1,184.1 |
| 2019 | 49 | 254.1 | 372 | 1,929.5 |
| 2018 | 46 | 241.4 | 256 | 1,343.5 |
| 2017 | 61 | 324.4 | 288 | 1,531.4 |
| 2016 | 93 | 501.2 | 383 | 2,064.0 |
By police agency (4)
| Agency | Year | Violent | Property | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County Sheriff's Office | 2025 | 16 | 80 | 16,151 |
| Warsaw Police Department | 2025 | 2 | 67 | 2,369 |
| Lincoln Police Department | 2025 | 1 | 13 | 1,218 |
| Cole Camp Police Department | 2025 | 3 | 1 | 1,189 |
Police staffing
Agencies counted (4), 2025
| Agency | Officers | Civilians | People served |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County Sheriff's Office | 17 | 4 | 16,151 |
| Warsaw Police Department | 8 | 1 | 2,369 |
| Cole Camp Police Department | 3 | 0 | 1,189 |
| Lincoln Police Department | 3 | 0 | 1,218 |
Earlier years
| Year | Officers | Per 1,000 | Civilians | Agencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 31 | 1.48 | 5 | 4 |
| 2023 | 27 | 1.31 | 4 | 4 |
| 2019 | 29 | 1.50 | 10 | 4 |
| 2018 | 31 | 1.63 | 10 | 4 |
| 2017 | 29 | 1.54 | 8 | 4 |
| 2016 | 30 | 1.62 | 8 | 4 |
Quick answers
- Who is the Benton County Assessor?
- James H. Hansen II (Republican) is the Assessor of Benton County, Missouri.
- Who is the Benton County Circuit Clerk?
- Shanda R. Schultz (Republican) is the Circuit Clerk of Benton County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
- Who is the Benton County Collector of Revenue?
- David Brodersen (Republican) is the Collector of Revenue of Benton County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
- Who is the Benton County Coroner?
- J. Weston Miller (Republican) is the Coroner of Benton County, Missouri.
- Who is the Benton County County Clerk?
- Susan Porterfield (Republican) is the County Clerk of Benton County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
- Who is the Benton County County Surveyor?
- Shaun Marshall (Republican) is the County Surveyor of Benton County, Missouri.
- Who is the Benton County Prosecuting Attorney?
- Rod Richardson (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Benton County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
- Who is the Benton County Public Administrator?
- Lori Schroder (Republican) is the Public Administrator of Benton County, Missouri.
- Who is the Benton County Recorder of Deeds?
- Carla J. Brown (Republican) is the Recorder of Deeds of Benton County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
- Who is the Benton County Sheriff?
- Eric Knox (Republican) is the Sheriff of Benton County, Missouri.
- Who is the Benton County Treasurer?
- Rebecca J. Minks is the Treasurer of Benton County, Missouri.
- Who are the Benton County commissioners?
- D. Scott Harms (Associate Commissioner, Northern District); Larry G. Berry (Associate Commissioner, Southern District); Steve Daleske (Presiding Commissioner).
- What is the population of Benton County?
- About 20,151 people, with a median age of 54.5; the median household income is $52,567 and 19.9% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
- What is the unemployment rate in Benton County?
- 4.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 347 people unemployed in a labor force of 7,644, against 4.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
- How many local governments are there in Benton County?
- 23 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal, 3 school district and 15 special district governments.
Benton County's 2026 ballot and results · Every Missouri county · Missouri's members of Congress
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